COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

DIVISION OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY

COURSE TITLE: Meteorology Online

COURSE NUMBER: PHYS 3435 - 01

CREDIT HOURS: 3

INSTRUCTOR: Kevin L. Riley

CONTACT VIA: Mailbox: Room F 2435 (Adjunct’s Office)

E-mail: kriley@govst.edu
Website: https://newlearn.govst.edu/
Office: F 2328 (Physics Lab)
Office Hours: Mondays (11:30 AM to 1:30 PM)
Wednesdays (11:30 AM to 2:30 PM)
Phone: (708) 235 - 2825

TERM OFFERED: Summer 2023

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
The material is based on that from the American Meteorological Society. Explores how the Sun, the
Earth’s tilt, and geography affect weather. Addresses the composition and properties of Earth’s
atmosphere. Uses real-time and archival data from the American Meteorological Society to allow
students to analyze the weather that affects them.

PREREQUISITES: Twelve credit hours in college-level science courses or permission of the instructor.
College Algebra and familiarity with the use of a calculator.

RESTRICTIONS: None.

RATIONALE:
The weather affects a person daily. Thunderstorms today; picnic cancelled. High UV-index today, apply
more sun block. Blizzard conditions: school cancelled. The weather also has an economic impact on us.
The price of bread has increased due to last year’s drought. Billions of dollars of damage resulted from
hurricanes.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:
This course was developed for students with an interest in meteorology and provides secondary education
students with the training necessary to meet the requirements of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

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EXPECTED STUDENT OUTCOMES:

Upon completing this course, the student will be able to:

1) Describe the relationship between the patterns of high and low air pressure areas (High or H and Low or L)
on a surface weather map and the surface wind directions.

2) Decode common symbols on a surface weather map and describe the weather conditions those symbols
represent.

3) Identify fronts appearing on the map, the weather likely on either side of a front, and the motion of fronts.

4) Locate regions on a weather map where cold and warm air advection is occurring and relate warm and cold
air advection patterns to circulations of weather systems.

5) Determine the wind chill temperature based on temperature and wind observations.

6) Explain what air pressure is.

7) Identify air pressure changes and other local weather conditions that indicate the passage of a cold front.

8) Describe how air temperature changes as air pressure changes.

9) Explain how most clouds form in a hypothetical bottle and in the atmosphere.

10) Determine the temperature of air that rises or sinks in the atmosphere.

11) Describe different mechanisms leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation in low pressure systems.

12) Indicate the general relationship between the uplift of air and the formation of clouds and precipitation.

13) Explain the general relationships between the jet stream in the upper-air westerlies and the paths air masses
and storms.

14) Describe how atmospheric temperature patterns are associated with the upper-air circulation and the jet
stream.

15) Specify the type of weather associated with fronts rotating about an extratropical cyclone’s low-pressure
center.

16) Compare and contrast the weather associated with cold fronts and warm fronts and describe the sequence of
changes in weather on the right (warm) side and the left (cold) side of a Northern Hemisphere cyclone track.

17) Describe the appearance of thunderstorms on radar and infrared satellite imagery.

18) List some of the characteristics of an intense tornado’s path.

19) Describe the track taken by a hurricane in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

20) Describe the relationship between the maximum wind speeds and the central pressure in a hurricane.

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INSTRUCTIONAL MODALITY(IES):

1) This is a 100% Online Course. We never meet as a class. Each student studies and
submits their answers (on Blackboard) at their own pace. The only deadline for this
course is August 13 by 11:55 PM which is the LAST DAY to submit all your answers.

2) You will learn Meteorology by:

a) Reading and answering questions in the Investigation Manual.

b) Reading and watching videos which are found in Chapter Folders on Blackboard.

c) Requesting one-on-one tutoring with the instructor (on GSU’s campus).

3) All materials and information can be found in the Investigation Manual and on Blackboard.

REQUIRED TEXT/LEARNING MATERIALS:

Investigation Manual: You must use the electronic edition given below. No other edition will work with this course.

You may obtain the Investigation Manual from:

1) GSU Bookstore (Follett): (708) 534-4558 or
2) American Meteorological Society: https://edubooks.ametsoc.org/WXIM-22

The webpage should look like the following:

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TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:
1) The most recent version of the following browsers: Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or FireFox
to connect to the course webpage at https://newlearn.govst.edu/.

2) Foxit Reader (https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-reader/) or Adobe Acrobat Reader

(http://get.adobe.com/reader/) to view PDF files. Both Readers are FREE.

ACTIVITIES/ASSIGNMENTS/REQUIREMENTS:
You will read and answer questions in the Investigation Manual (Online ePub). You will enter your
answers in the proper Chapter heading once you click the Answer Submission link on Blackboard. Once
your answers for a Chapter have been entered, the computer will display your grade immediately. For
each Chapter, you will find a folder that has materials (e.g., tutorials, videos, etc.) which will help you in
understanding the information presented in that Chapter. We never meet as a class.

Note: Though you are studying at your own pace in this course, you should try to read 1 to 2 chapters per
week. In all, there are twelve chapters for this course.

EVALUATION:
You are required to complete the first 12 Chapters (1 to 12) in the Investigation Manual. These twelve
Chapters have a total of 413 questions. Therefore, the total number of points for this course is 413. If
you wish, you may do Chapter 14 which will count as extra credit. Chapter 14 has a total of 28 questions
giving you a chance to earn 28 extra points.

The Chapter questions are only found in the Investigation Manual, the questions are NOT posted
on the website. Once you have answered (offline) the questions for a Chapter (both Sections A and B),
you will log into Blackboard and enter your answers online. Click on the Answer Submission link (left
side of webpage). Then, to enter your answers, click on the appropriate Chapter title. Note: Only the
choices, NOT the actual questions, will be displayed. You will receive a score once you have
submitted all your answers for a specific Chapter. You have 45 minutes (more than enough time)
to Enter your answers.

There is a total of 413 points for the course. Percentage Points Grade
The grading scale is as follows: 93 - 100% 384.1 to 413.0 A
90 – 92.9% 371.7 to 384.0 A-
Note: There is NO A+ assigned as a grade. 87 – 89.9% 359.3 to 371.6 B+
83 – 86.9% 342.8 to 359.2 B
80 – 82.9% 330.4 to 342.8 B-
77 – 79.9% 318.0 to 330.3 C+
73 – 76.9% 301.5 to 317.9 C
70 – 72.9% 289.1 to 301.4 C-
67 – 69.9% 276.7 to 289.0 D+
63 – 66.9% 260.2 to 276.6 D
60 – 62.9% 247.8 to 260.1 D-
0 – 59.9% < 247.7 F

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Note the following for this course:
1) This is a reading intensive course. However, a few times you will need to do calculations involving
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

2) Each Chapter of the Investigation Manual is composed of two sections (A & B). Section A covers
theory while Section B applies the theory to real data. You must complete both sections.

3) Clicking the Course Content link (left side of webpage) will display a page with Chapter folders.
Each Chapter folder contains two sections (A & B). The materials (e.g., tutorials, solutions, videos,
etc.) will help you answer the Chapter questions.

4) You proceed at your own pace. All Chapter questions are due ON or BEFORE the last day of
class (Sunday, August 13 by 11:55 PM).

TOPICAL OUTLINE/COURSE CONTENT:

The following topics will be covered in this course. You proceed at your own pace. All Chapter
questions are due on or before August 13 (Sunday) by 11:55 PM.

Chapter 1: A – Surface Air Pressure Patterns; B – Air Pressure and Wind

Chapter 2: A – Surface Weather Maps; B – The Atmosphere in the Vertical
Chapter 3: A – Weather Satellite Imagery; B – Sunlight Throughout the Year
Chapter 4: A – Temperature and Air Mass Advection; B – Heating and Cooling Degree-Days and Wind-Chill
Chapter 5: A – Air Pressure Change; B – Atmospheric Pressure in the Vertical
Chapter 6: A – Clouds, Temperature, and Air Pressure; B – Rising and Sinking Air
Chapter 7: A – Precipitation Patterns; B – Doppler Radar
Chapter 8: A – Surface Weather Maps and Forces; B – Upper-Air Weather Maps
Chapter 9: A – Westerlies and the Jet Stream; B – ¡EL NIÑO!
Chapter 10: A – The Extratropical Cyclone; B – Extratropical Cyclone Track Weather
Chapter 11: A – Thunderstorms; B – Tornadoes
Chapter 12: A – Hurricanes; B – Hurricane Wind Speeds and Pressure Changes
Chapter 14: A – Atmospheric Optical Phenomena; B – Atmospheric Refraction [Extra Credit]

Student Identify Verification:

Per policy of The Higher Learning Commission by enrolling in this online course your identity will be
verified. Verification may include one or all the following:
1) Use of a secure login and pass code.
2) Proctored examinations where student’s GSU ID card will be used to verify identity.
3) Use of a monitoring technology to verify identity.

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Disability Statement:

GSU is committed to providing all students equal access to University programs and facilities. You may
be eligible for academic accommodations if you have a documented physical, psychiatric (anxiety,
depression, bipolar disorder, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, or others) or a neurological disability such as
a learning disability, autism or TBI. You must register and provide documentation with Access Services
for Students with Disabilities (ASSD) (https://www.govst.edu/disability-services/) before faculty
members are required to provide appropriate accommodations. For more information or to register,
please contact ASSD at assd@govst.edu or 708-235-3968. To aid in creating an accessible learning
environment for students with disabilities contact ASSD before or during the first week of classes.

Title IX Statement:

Consistent with GSU Policy 78, Title IX and Anti-Sex Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Policy, Title IX regulations make it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender is a Civil
Rights offense subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to
offenses against other protected categories, such as race, national origin, etc... The University has a duty
to prevent harassment, post policies against it, to investigate complaints, and to take prompt action to stop
harassment when it occurs. Contact the Governors State University Title IX Coordinator to report any
incidents at titleixofficer@govst.edu or call 708.534-4100 and ask to speak to the Title IX Coordinator.
For complete Title IX information and resources, visit: https://www.govst.edu/TitleIX/

Emergency Preparedness Statement:

In case of emergency, the University's Alert System will be activated. Students should maintain updated
contact information using the link on the homepage of the myGSU portal. In addition, students are
encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Procedures posted in each classroom. Detailed
information about the University's emergency management plan, information about how to update your
contact information, and the Campus Safety Booklet can be found at http://www.govst.edu/emergency.

Academic Honesty Statement:

Students are expected to fulfill academic requirements in an ethical and honest manner. This expectation
pertains to the following: use and acknowledgement of the ideas and work of others, submission of work
to fulfill course requirements, sharing of work with other students, and appropriate behavior during
examinations. These ethical considerations are not intended to discourage people from studying together
or from engaging in group projects. The University policy on academic honesty appears in the catalog
appendix, which can be found on the website at https://catalog.govst.edu/

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COVID-19 Statement:

The posted campus Operating Plan is the framework which guides campus decisions regarding Covid-19
protocols. Effective Summer 2022, a layered prevention strategy that sets public health precaution levels
at green-yellow-red will guide campus operations. When set at a yellow or red level masking is required
in the classroom. When set to a red level, courses will move to remote instruction.

Any student who fails to follow required safety procedures including the posted procedures for COVID
19, or to comply with university employees’ instructions will be considered to be violating Student
Conduct Rules (Policy 4 Student Conduct Policy) and is subject to disciplinary action that may include
removal from a class or removal from campus. Updates related to COVID-19, the current Public Health
Precaution Level, and the most up to date safety information are available on the COVID updates and the
Campus Operating Plan at https://www.govst.edu/COVID-19/.

Students with disabilities who require accommodations should contact disability services at
https://www.govst.edu/disability-services/. Students, who are impacted by COVID 19 and need
adjustment to class requirements, are responsible to send a written request to the instructor as soon as
possible for approval.

Student Health & Well-Being Statement:

As a student, you may experience situations or challenges that can interfere with your learning and
personal well-being. GSU has many resources to help with any issues you may experience. Free,
confidential mental health and medical services are available on campus by contacting the Counseling &
Wellness Center at 708.235.7334 or https://www.govst.edu/wellness/. Assistance with personal
difficulties, including hunger and housing instability, is available by contacting GSU4U at
https://www.govst.edu/gsu4u.

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